Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-15
SWIyDLINC THE RUSTICS.
Scenes on the jackson Street Horse
Market
CHEATING IN HORSE sfltsH.
Traders Who are Sharpcrs anu
Scamps-Their Various schemes
-"DOctoring Up" q
Poor Horse.
Written for The Suiitv Bee bu 4 far.

rob, and an outraged people calls for bet
ter police projections the confidence man
swindles, ana his victim hoyls aloud for
justice. But there is one class of thieves
who work quietly aud effectively in this
city, being allowed year in and
year out to practice, unmolested, their
infamous profession OF swindling tho
rustics who may happen to drop into
Omaha. They are the horsctradcrs. Their
manner of conducting business amour Is
to nothing more or less than robbery. As
the reader may infer upon perusing this
article. But the robbcryis effected so qui
city and so smoothly, that the victim
rarely ever reports the swindle to the po.
lice. II, perchancc, some pluckcd inno-
cent does muster up courage enough to
inform the authorities, the swlndler es-
capes aud is nowhere to be found.
This article has no reference to the men
who practice horsc-traoing and selling
honestly. There are Il number of them
in the city-despitc the assertion that
when it comes to trading horse, st.
Paul himself would cheat. And all such
need not attempt to wear a cap which
is not intended to fit them.
The rascally horsetradcrs referred to
may be divided into two classes: First,
those who live in the city and practice
their business here; and second, the
travelling gypscs who pass through
~
days here, end then move on to other
fields. The latter is by far the more dan
gerOus class of horsetradcrs. The gyp
sizes are sharp, shrewd and unscrupulOus,
and they possess powers of eloquenCe
which are irresistible to the average
granger who has horse to trade.
jackson street, between Thirteenth
market of the city. Here the traders do
their work. Here many victim is
heeced in manner so neat and eXpedi-
tious that the most polished confidence
man might learn a lesson therefrom.
Saturdays are the heaviest trading days.
For then the farmers come into town.
But on almost amy day there is more or
less trading going on.
A reporter happened down into that
locality the other day, in company with
friend who is well posted on the practices
of these fellows. A horse trader was
trying to induce a farmer to give him a
pair of bay ponies for rather doubtful
specimen of horsellesh which he held by
halter. The horse had Il pair of badly
bowed front legs, which made him walk
lame. The horse trader was Jew, and
very smooth man at his business.
"By sheminy Moses, my vrend," ho
said to the farmer, "don'd you know wen
yon We god a snap? III trade you dees
fine. large, elegant horse for dose two
ponies und geef you ten tollars to boot.
Dot yos great bargain. my yrend".
horse s front legs are crookeder'n bow"
Dots all right, my .vrcnd," returned
the horsetrader, "dond you worry init
yourself about dot. Dose legs will pc
straight eef you geef dot horse plendy of
rest SO hellup me Moses, deres noding
de matter NIT dot horse!"
The granger thought moment or two,
II reckon IN trade ye, stranger. Gimme
the $40 and the horse and the ponies are
yourn."
The reporter and his friend at this
| juncture walked away. There" said
the latter, sis a sample of the way
sucker is ileeced when he comes on the
horse market. There is horse that
| isn't worth SO. And yet that farmer has
got him in exchange for his two ponies
that were worth at least $3.50. That is
the very simplest way these horsetraders
have OF swindling. There are a number
of other schemes they are IN the habit
| OF working"
Name some Of them," suggested the
repGPrterii !,P aerid +s,, Won =, . tox., n,,n. t,.+
they have of working q sucker For
instance; suppose you come into town
with team of horses that you want $500
for. A, who is horsetrader, comes to
you and asks you what you want for
your horses. You tell him. He
doesn't want to buy them him
self, but he knows b, who has
a pair Of horses that you can trade for,
even up B. by the way, is another
trader, and his team is worth about $75,
though both horses are fine looking. You
hesitate about making the trade Just
then q comes along. He Is ostensibly
business man looking for team of
horses, but really he. is tho
third sha, of hanas ths t1 trio OF ,ns sharks siI:
him if he knows where he can buy q
good pair of horses. A replies that B
has a good team to sell. Yes says G,
Il know the team. I'd give $3.50 cash for
it, if thought that would buy it, You,
the farmer whom the three men arc
working, think to yourself We'll, can
trade my horses for BIS even up, and then
$50 myself You go to Il, make tho
trade, and then take your new team to q.
with the remark that he can have it for
1850. The three sharpers always arrange
it so that the trade takes place
after O'Clock. When you ap-
proach G, he tells you that he
isaer is after baking Xxi hours. % lie Tells you | to
come around tomorrow and he Will buy
the team. Tomorrow dawns, but you
cannot find &. You discover that you
have been swindled, and that the team
on your hands is worthless one"
Another scheme these fellows work Is
to trade you really good animal for
yours. Then when your back is turned
they prick the nose of your horse so as
to make tho animal bleed, or feed it
something which makes it sick. You
come to the conclusion that you have b
worthless animal on your hands and you